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Ben Stokes has come out of retirement from the 50-over international cricket format and has been included in England’s ODI squad for the upcoming series against New Zealand. The announcement was made by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) along with the unveiling of the T20I squad to face New Zealand on August 16, 2023.
The forthcoming series between England and New Zealand consists of 4 ODIs and 4 T20Is, beginning with the T20Is on August 30. The T20I matches are scheduled for August 30 in Chester-Le-Street, September 1 in Manchester, September 3 in Birmingham and September 5 in Nottingham. Subsequently, the ODIs will be held on September 8 in Cardiff, September 10 in Southampton, September 13 at the Oval and September 15 at Lord’s.
Matthew Mott, England’s white-ball coach, had earlier disclosed that captain Jos Buttler would be discussing the prospect of Stokes returning from his ODI retirement to participate in the upcoming ODI World Cup 2023 in India. It appears that Buttler’s conversation with Stokes was successful, resulting in the all-rounder’s decision to rejoin the ODI squad.
Also READ: England announces a 15-man provisional squad for the ODI World Cup 2023
Wright is confident that England fans and everyone else can be extremely pleased
Luke Wright, England’s Men’s National Selector, expressed his delight at Stokes’ choice to reverse his retirement and make a comeback to the ODI format. The 32-year-old’s ability to perform well in high-stakes matches is expected to provide the defending champions with a significant advantage.
“It wasn’t really a case of changing his mind. He was always interested in coming back. He had to make that priority of getting through the Ashes, have a break and give the body a rest. It wasn’t a case of needing to beg him or anything like that, he was always keen, so it was actually fairly straightforward. Once his body was in a good place and he’d had a rest, he was really keen to play. We’re delighted from our point of view and I’m sure England fans and everyone can be absolutely delighted,” Wright was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
Stokes’ return to the national team is significant as he had been absent from white-ball cricket for England since the T20 World Cup final in November 2022. Although the Christchurch-born cricketer had previously indicated retirement, his presence in the squad for the New Zealand series is a considerable boost as England enters a crucial period.
In his previous 105 ODI appearances, Stokes has scored 2924 runs, including three centuries, and taken 74 wickets. His exceptional 84-run innings in the final of the 2019 ODI World Cup played a pivotal role in England’s victory against New Zealand, ultimately secured in the Super Over.
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